“Darling, you haven’t explained it to him yet?” Brutus asked turning to Lizzie.

“I was waiting for you honey.” Lizzie said walking over to stand next to Brutus.

“Darling?” Brody croaked still not believing his eyes.

Lizzie sighed sounding bored. “Here’s the whole story. I lied to you. The first time I saw Brutus in the occult section at the bookstore I was fascinated with him. I remember it like it was yesterday. He stood 6’3 with damp, thick brown hair falling over his ears, blue eyes, and he smelled like peaches. He loves peaches.” She said smiling up at Brutus who smiled back at her.

She continued. “He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had to find out more about him. Later that month I saw him by the creek. It was like fate or something.  He was playing his violin. I would’ve left but his music caught me and wouldn’t let me go. He stopped playing and I was about to leave but he looked up and saw me. I was afraid he’d be mad that I was spying on him but he was flattered that I was listening. That’s all he wanted. Was someone to listen. He started inviting me to his house to listen to him play. Of course I couldn’t tell my parents. They’d think he was pedophile. Unfortunately, he never touched me. I came at least twice a week. I was head over heels. We talked about everything together. He listened to me and I listened to him.”

 “Fast forward to February 25, 2002 my sixteenth birthday, I was on my way here.  I really wanted to spend my birthday with Brutus.”

 -Flash back-

Knock .knock.  

"Brutus, are you home?”  The door creaked open.  

She walked inside the house.  

“Brutus, you left the door…” She paused.

There on the wooden floor were crimson red drops.  

She grew worried. She’d hoped it wasn’t what she thought it was. 

“P-please -no.” She bent down touching the stain.  

Horrified she stared at the red liquid on her fingers. She knew what it was. 

"BRUTUS!?” She screamed at the top of her lungs. 

She ran stumbling up the steps past more crimson drops of blood. 

He had to be in the attic. He was always in the attic.  

She reached the attic gasping for air. But the sight before her sucked all of the oxygen out of her lungs. 

Brutus lay on the floor shirtless in blue jeans clutching his stomach. He lay in a fetal position with a puddle of blood forming around him.  

She stood frozen in fear. 

He managed to lift his head to see her standing at the top of the stairs. 

“Elizabeth.” He groaned.  

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.  

Hot tears rolled down her face. 

She had to do something. She’d never let him die. 

She snapped out of her daze.

She walked over to Brutus trembling in fear. 

“I’ll call 911.But first we have to try to stop the blood.” She blurted trying to figure what to do.

“N-no. Don’t touch me and don’t call anyone.” He whispered. 

“Why the hell not? You’ll die if I don’t!” She exclaimed confused by his request. 

“You know the b-book we’ve been reading together about blood rituals. I need you to get it.” He said shivering.  

The book sat on a stack of boxes on the other side of the attic. She did as she was told.

“T-t-turn to page 225. Read it.” He instructed. She did.

Her eyes grew wide as she read the words on the page.  

It was a blood binding ritual. It would bind Brutus’s soul to hers for the rest of her life. He would never truly die as long as she was alive.  

“I know it’s a lot to ask and you don’t have to do it if you...” He said trying to keep his strength but failing. 

“I’ll do it.” She said cutting him off. If she was going to perform the ritual they didn’t have much time left. 

Brutus nodded silently thanking her.

She needed a candle, a lighter, and her own blood.

Brutus kept candles in the attic and she had her own lighter.  

She lit the candle setting it between her self and Brutus’s weakening body. 

She needed something sharp to cut herself with, but she didn’t have time to run to kitchen. 

She closed her eyes biting down hard on her index finger. Blood flowed into her mouth. 

Brutus removed his bloody hand from his wound. 

She looked into Brutus’s eyes not wanting to look at the wound.  She could tell he was fading.  

He dripped a drop of blood onto the candle. She followed. 

He then stuck a blood covered finger into her mouth. She did the same. 

The taste of his blood danced on her tongue. 

She felt his tongue twirl around the wounded finger she’d stuck in his mouth. 

The sound of thunder and lightning ripped through house.  

Brutus’s body thrashed around. 

She stood back unsure of what was happening. 

Silence. 

Brutus lay on the floor motionless. He was gone.  

She stared down at his cold body.

It didn’t work. He was dead. 

She gathered the candle and her lighter so no one would know she had been there.

She bit her lip fighting back a flood of tears threatening to spill. 

She made her way to the back door.  

“Elizabeth.” She spun around startled to see Brutus standing behind her. 

“B-b-b” She stuttered. 

“Thank you. Elizabeth.” He said reaching to touch her. 

His hand went through her. 

“I’ll have to get used to this ghost thing.” He said staring at his hand. 

She stood still in shock. It worked. She couldn’t believe it. 

“You’d better get out of here before someone sees you.” She nodded turning to leave. 

“Oh, and Lizzie.” Brutus called after her. 

"Y-yes?” She said petrified and happy at the same time. 

“Happy birthday.” He said flashing a big smile. 

-End flash back-

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Lizzie asked sniffling.

Brutus wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“Don’t cry sweetheart. I’m still here because of you.”  He kissed her forehead.

“You’re crazy!”  Brody screamed at her.

“Shut up. I’m not finished.” Lizzie shot back.

“Brutus is blood bound to me which means that as long as I’m alive he’ll never truly be dead. But not alive either. That’s where you come in Brody. He needs a body. Your body.”

“What? I’m not giving either of you shit!” He yelled infuriated.

“We weren’t asking.” Brutus said smirking.

“Enough story time lets let this over with.” Lizzie said annoyed.

Brutus stepped inside the circle of candles.

Lizzie grabbed a large knife out of a box on the floor.

Brody began sweating harder. “Lizzie. Please don’t do this. He’s a fucking killer!” He begged.

“Those bitches deserved to die! They didn’t listen to him or understand him.” She screeched furiously.

 “They just saw rich man and some dick. Those goldiggin whores had it comin!”

She took a deep breath calming herself. “Now, the moment you die Brutus will enter your body and heal it and that’s that.”

Tears streamed down Brody’s cheeks. “Lizzie please don’t. I love you so much. We can still leave this house and forget all of this. We were going to get married. We still can if we leave now.”

“You don’t understand love the way Brutus and I do. It’s bigger than life and death.” Lizzie said cutting Brody’s hoodie and t-shirt off with the knife.

She raised the knife high above her head.

“AHHHHHHHHH!” Brody screamed.

Lizzie plunged the knife into Brody’s bare chest.

The warm blood oozed out spilling over her hands. She cupped her hands under the gaping wound.

Carrying it to the candle circle she spilled it around Brutus.

“What time is it?” Brutus asked anxiously.

Lizzie looked at her blood stained watch. “12:09 a.m. October 31, 2009.”

“The witching hour.” He said smiling.

“It’s time baby.”

“I’m ready.”

Wind tore the room blowing the candles out. Thunder roared in the sky above. Lizzie covered her ears. And then….

Silence.

Brody’s body sat slumped over in the same position as before.

Lizzie dropped the knife.

She slowly walked over to Brody’s body.

“Brutus?” She asked nervously.

His head shot up at the sound of her voice.

His big blue eyes stared back at her.

“Brutus it’s you!” She said excitedly.

She began untying him.

He gradually rose from the chair.

“How do you feel?” Lizzie questioned.

He ignored her question, embracing her in an eager hug.

“We did it darling.”

Lizzie returned the hug wrapping her arms around Brutus’s waist.

“I love you Brutus. And I always will.” She said with her head buried in his chest.

“I love you too Elizabeth.” He whispered into her ear.

They stood in stillness holding each other for few minutes.

“Brutus?” Lizzie said breaking the silence.

“Never let me go.” She said softly gazing into his sapphire eyes.

“I’ll never let you go.”  Brutus replied holding the woman his music had found for him.